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Topic: Would like your quotes about your fears for a new campaign

Forum:
Acknowledging and honoring our Community — Share accomplishments, milestones, goals of community members, family members or yourself.
Just finished treatment? Just got married? Watched your child graduate? Ran a big run? Been a huge help to members in our community? Let's honor our members here!

Breastcancer.org is launching a fundraising and awareness campaign around the fears and anxieties associated with breast cancer. Would you be willing to share your point of view? Your name, image, and powerful quote may be featured in a variety of ways to educate people about the need for more education, support, and access. Thanks for your help!!!

If you'd like to share your perspective, please submit your answer to one of these three questions to ttf@breastcancer.org, post it below, or PM the Mods.

If you would like to share your point of view but remain anonymous, please send your submission to the mods via direct message. Submissions may be featured in a graphic or video in the future (*username, image will not be used).

Breastcancer.org reserves the right to use language in its entirety or in part. No creative license will be taken. Your likeness and quote will be shown to you before it is used.

I have a lump in the middle of my upper chest. For many year it was a blackhead... but now it turn into this big hard lump that will not pop. The clinic that I worked at tried to numb it and drain it with a needle but it wouldn't drain. Now it's getting bigger very painful and red around it. I'm supper scared and was wondering.. what should I do? I guest I was just wanting for it to pop.

I worry my daughter will have breast cancer too.. She turned 15 this week.

I manage my fears by rationalizing that she is only half of my dna and by the time she's my age, I'm sure breast cancer, all cancers will be easily treatable

We recognize that life is a gift, a finite precious gift, as a police officer all too often I've seen how quickly things can go bad... You can't live in fear, you walk past those fears toward the future full of promise.

I am scared the most by the current stastictis of being a young stage 4 de novo patient. I was diagnosed at 33 and am now 3 years post diagnosis. The current five year survival rate for women with Stage 4 breast cancer who were diagnosed younger than 49 is only 36%. I am terrified that I will not be alive to celebrate my 40th birthday, and that middle age for me will be 18-19 years old at best. - Rebecca

What scares me most is that my pathology results (grade 3, LVI) didn't match my low Oncotype, and after a few opinions, treatment was based on the Oncotype. Will they find, in time, that the Oncotype is not the best guide, and will I? They say the lymphatic invasion was local, but did cells get through?

I have two kids with some special needs, now in mid-20's, but nowhere near ready to leave them.

Little support, save a ride from the hospital after surgery. After mastectomies I walked to the grocery store and bought just a couple of items at a time so I could get them home. My cancer is completely off the minds of family and friends: as far as they are concerned, it's over.

I don't think about it much but sometimes, all of a sudden, it will hit me. What if I sign a lease for an apartment and it comes back and I need to be elsewhere? That car dealer is talking about a car that will last 10 years, and I wonder if I should get a cheaper one that will last 5. That kind of thing.

Tai Chi is a help, and so is doing art.

Sorry, no image, so I understand my post won't be helpful to the study.

wow....my fears as a two time breast cancer survivor. I really thought I was done with all of this the first time! The second time was a true watershed moment when I knew that this disease could definitely take my life. Even though I am in my mid sixties, I am not ready to leave this planet yet.

Some days I barely think of breast cancer, others, it's literally ALL I can think of. This disease is the mother of all terrorists in my book, because anyone who's ever had it knows it can always come back....years, even decades after it first strikes.

I do feel that it has given me a new appreciation of the simple things in life, a beautiful spring day, the smiles on my children and grandchildrens faces. The love I see in my husbands eyes when I say something funny. Yeah, it's all worth hanging around for....for as long as this life will let me stay

I am also afraid that it will return. That is my biggest fear. I have breast lymphedema and am on neutontin due to nerve pain which has persisted since my surgery over 9 months ago. I am afraid that I will never have a day without pain and intrusive thoughts.

Where do I begin! I mainly am scared for my 9 year old daughter who still needs me to put her to sleep at night. Who will put her to bed, quiet the nightmares and kiss the boo boos if I'm not here? Also, I'm scared for my finances. I am going to be laid off in 8 months. Will I be able to get through treatment before I lose my insurance? Will I have to move because I won't be able to afford my house anymore? I'm afraid of the unknown. Will it come back. Fear is my new normal.

I've been living with BC since Aug 07 and have had 3 surgeries and the standard of care treatments due to 2 recurrences ('09, 2014). I'm getting along well physically and try to stay upbeat through journaling, family time, volunteer involvements, church activities, nurturing friendships, Bible study and prayer, GRANDKIDS, yard work, gardening, and just this summer joining a water exercise class. "You are braver than you think," Christopher Robin told Pooh. I overcame my fear of embarrassment by getting a long sleeve rash guard shirt, paddle board shorts and altering a sports bra to hold my silicon boobs in tight. I tell you, I feel younger and energetic and like a conqueror with my Lands End gear and a sassy "I can do this!" attitude. I encourage any of you to find a way to enjoy life, be creative with solutions and go for it! This is also complying with avoiding lots of sun exposure with the hormone inhibitor med that I'm on for another 2 years. We gotta think outside the box and adapt our clothes, our attitudes, our schedules, whatever! .

I was diagnosed with IDC in November 2016. I'm done with treatment but am getting ready for reconstruction. They are going to put tissue expanders in on September 7th. My biggest fear is recurrance. Or dying before my goal of 90. My faith in God is what causes me to stand today and every day. I know my life is in His hands no matter the day of my death. He knows all about me and what's happening and He is working something good out of it all. Even if it is my family knowing him through this. I have received comfort from my family and Christian friends who support me and pray for me. Also my online support group. I would have been lost without them. They make me feel so much less alone than I would have otherwise.